Whitford Catholic Primary School
Newsletter 3 - 14 February 2018
Message from the Principal
Dads and Kids Campout
A huge thank you to Andrew Dunlop and Chris Pawle for coordinating the Dads and Kids Campout at Ern Halliday Recreation Park over the weekend. It was a resounding success with sixty-four families and over one hundred awesome students involved.
Running this event on the back of the newly formed Fathering Project School Group created an ideal setting and great outcomes for dads and kids alike. Thank you to everyone involved in organizing and supporting the campout and providing an opportunity for dads to get together in a relaxed, informal environment.
I’m sure we will hear more from this ‘Champion Dads’ group as they work to positively promote the important role of fathers and father figures to the entire school community. If anyone is looking to borrow a copy of one of Steve Biddulph’s books to read or would love a copy of the pocket sized Blue Book distributed at the Fathering Project evening, please swing by the office before they run out.
Fr Joseph Tran
The weekend masses and thanksgiving celebrations were a real testament of how loved and respected Fr Joseph has been as a leader of our community. Attached is a link to the speech given by Lisa Mooney, Chairperson of the Parish Council at Mass on Saturday evening. Many blessings Fr Joseph, we wish you well!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PwVcMBlKlXa5NtEM2mtcXdsgaYe5COSl/view?usp=sharing
Parent-Teacher Information Sessions
It has been pleasing to see the number of parents attending Parent Information sessions with class teachers. This is the first step in forming a viable partnership with your child’s teacher and working toward a successful school year for your child. Your support is very much appreciated.
Sundowner
As members of the Whitford Catholic School community, you will have received an invitation to our Sundowner next week. We would love to meet you there, so please come along to meet new parents, staff and generally have a good time!
Best wishes for a wonderful week.
Many blessings
Tamara McGougan
Principal
Important Dates
Year 3 & 4 Swimming Lessons
09:00am - 10:00am Surfing - 6 Blue
06:30pm - 07:00pm Year 1 Parent Meeting
07:00pm - 07:30pm Year 2 Parent Meeting
FRIDAY 16 FEBRUARY
MONDAY 19 FEBRUARY
Life Ed Van Incursion (PP - Year 6)
Year 3 & 4 Swimming Lessons
09:00am - 10:00am School Opening Mass
TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY
Life Ed Van Incursion (PP - Year 6)
Year 3 & 4 Swimming Lessons
07:30pm - 09:30pm School Board Meeting
WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY
Life Ed Van Incursion (PP - Year 6)
Year 3 & 4 Swimming Lessons
09:00am - 10:00am Year 6 to attend Mass
06:30pm - 07:00pm P&F Meeting
07:00pm - 09:00pm WCPS Parents' Sundowner
Coles Sports for Schools
If you are shopping at Coles please don't forget to grab your vouchers and drop them to the front office. The more vouchers we can collect the more sports equipment we can claim. Please keep the vouchers coming.
Absentee Email Address
If your child is absent from school, please email absentee@wcps.wa.edu.au. Please check that you have the current email address, as we have had a few parents mentioning that their email was undeliverable.
Assistant Principal News
Life Ed Van Visit
The Life Education Van is visiting Whitford Catholic Primary School during Week Four and Five, Term One. This program provides valuable learning for your child in the area of Health Education. Parents, care givers and members of the community are welcome to visit the Life Education Mobile Learning Centre during an ‘Open Caravan’ session on Tuesday 20th February from 8:45-9:30am. This is an informal opportunity to ask questions, look at the props and resources used to deliver the programs, and take home free health brochures.
Ash Wednesday
Today we came together as a community to celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass which marks the beginning of Lent. The marking of ashes on our forehead is a reminder for us to live the way Jesus wants. Lent is a special time of the year when we prepare for Easter by thinking about our lives and how God wants us to live. A big part of this is also thinking about changing ourselves by trying to become better people.
Project Compassion
Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of Project Compassion, which is Caritas Australia’s major annual fundraising and education campaign. It runs during the weeks of Lent. It is a time to reflect upon and engage with significant issues of peace, justice and development. This week, each family will receive a Project Compassion box to keep at home and fill with donations. You are invited to bring it back to school at any time during Lent. Please fill in the panel on the box should you require a receipt. Each grade also has a large Project Compassion box to share between classes. We encourage the students to donate any loose change. Students can also print a Lenten calendar which shows them ways they can learn, act and pray throughout Lent. Further information can be found on the website www.caritas.org.au. We ask that you support the school in our aim to help Caritas Australia in this most worthwhile endeavour.
Opening School Mass
This is a reminder that our Opening School Mass will take place on Monday 19th February at 9am. During 2018, we will try to follow the example of Jesus in our lives. We promise to find ways of allowing Jesus to be the most important part of our life. As a school community we will continue to follow the values of our Mercy sisters – Excellence, Community, Faith, Trust and Service.
NAPLAN Information For Parents Years 3 and 5
A brochure will be going home this week for students in Years 3 and 5 with important information about the NAPLAN program. Please take the time to read this brochure carefully. NAPLAN testing will take place from Tuesday 15th May to Thursday the 17th May. Further information can be found on the website www.nap.edu.au
Biscuit Sale for Project Compassion
As part of a fundraising initiative, Cooper Bouwman (5 White) will be selling chocolate chip cookies each Friday at recess during Lent, beginning with Year 3 students this week. Biscuits will be sold in bags of 3 for the special price of $2. However, there are limited bags so please still bring your recess as normal. All proceeds will go to Project Compassion. Great work Cooper.
Catharine Hughes & Andrew De Maio
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
Class News
Pre Kindy
The children have settled into school so well. This week we've been talking about our families and what makes them special. The children loved dressing up in their dance class with Mrs D'Adamo.
Kindy
We've loved meeting our new kindy friends this week! We're learning lots of new names and routines!
Pre Primary
We made pancakes today for Shrove Tuesday. We learnt that Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent starts and Lent is the countdown to Easter. Our pancakes were delicious!
Year 1
On Tuesday we took Part in activities for Shrove Tuesday. We made pancakes and played in the sensory tray, squeezing lemons, sifting flour, mixing and writing our sounds and some words in the flour. We had a great time getting our hands dirty.
Year 2
Our Year 2 Superheroes have started the year with a bang! They are showing their teachers all their wonderful gifts and talents and we are enjoying making lots of new friends. All parents are welcome to come and see some of the beautiful work we have done so far.
Year 3
We have had an awesome start to the year in 3B! So far we have set goals, created flags about ourselves, continued our knowledge of place value and narratives and have even started learning about being assertive. We also have our own iPads for the first time and that is making our learning even more exciting! We have been very busy but we're learning a lot and having heaps of fun!
Year 4
What a start to the year! We really want to ‘make our mark’ and be the best we can be in 2018. We worked collaboratively and thought outside the box to solve our first Breakout EDU all about trying our best and believing in ourselves.
Year 5
This week we participated in a Webinar with lots of other schools in WA. We learnt a lot about cyber safety and how to treat others when we are communicating online.
Year 6
As highly experienced primary school students, we had time to impart some important knowledge and advice for our Year 1 buddies this week. It’s lovely to see so many smiling faces!
NO PARKING
Please refrain from using the Mercyville carpark for parking and also, when using Albion Park drive through, please exit the same way you entered.
Parking Update
Unfortunately, as building work continues to expand and improve the schools parking and drive-through systems, we have had to temporarily modify parking and drive-through points.
We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause families but we ask you to remember that this is only temporary and once building work in complete, the new systems will benefit all!!
PARKING
- There will be no parking available on the oval or the front carpark of the school.
- Parking is available at the following locations:
- Albion Park (entrance along Camberwarra Drive – will be signposted)
- Tennis Courts (off Barradine Way)
- Barradine Way (parking in the bays AM only)
- Legal street parking (including Vive estate opposite the school and through the underpass on Culwalla Close)
- Parents who need to park may want to consider parking away from the school (e.g. Barwon Park (Barwon Road) or Gradient Park (Gradient Way then cross Craigie Drive and take the footpath walkway to the top of Barradine Way)) and walking a few minutes to the school.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT CITY OF JOONDALUP WILL BE PATROLLING THE AREA AND WILL ISSUE FINES TO THOSE PARKED ILLEGALLY.
DRIVE-THROUGH
- The drive-through system at the front of the school will be severely limited.
- Drive-through systems are also available at the rear of the school (Barradine Way) and the Underpass (Culwalla Close)
- All drive-through points will be supervised by staff until 3.30pm so you may want to consider collecting your child at a later and less busy time.
Kids of Mercy
Kids of Mercy: Wow! We have only been back at school for 3 weeks and already 115 children have enrolled for 2018. I have to cap the numbers at 150 so don’t leave your enrolment too late. The ladies were thrilled to see us last week and we were introduced to Doreen and Wendy who were delighted to chat with us. The visits are brief, only 20 minutes, but they bring a lot of joy to the Sisters and ladies at Mercyville. Children should expect to be rostered on at least 3 times per year. On the Fridays they do attend, they would need to meet promptly in front of the office when the second lunch bell sounds. We then proceed to Mercyville and meet with the ladies in their common room for a chat, show and tell or music performance. We leave in time to start classes at 1.20pm. If you would like your child to be involved please fill out the slip below and return it to the office or the library. Forms are also available at the office. All participants from last year, wishing to continue, need re-enrol. We don’t carry over from 2017.
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KIDS of MERCY PERMISSION 2018
__________________________ from Class _________ would like to be included in the Kids of Mercy Program for 2018.
I understand this entails leaving the school grounds to walk to Mercyville, next door.
Signed _____________________________
Parent Signature
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This week, Week 3, Friday 16th February, the children attending are: JOSEPH HILTON 2B, AOIFE GIBSON 2G, ELLA FOSTER 2G, SUMMER URQUHART 2G, MAYA QUARTERMAINE 2W, SIENNA ROWE 2W, ABBY PLUMMER 5B, TOBEE WITHERIDGE 5B, DAVID BEJAN 5G, ADELAIDE HILTON 5W, ELLA KANE 5W, GRACE KANE 6B and JASMIN BARNES 6G.
Social Worker News
Compiling of Class Lists via PEACE Representatives for 2018:
Please remember to respond to the email that you received from me on Thursday 8 February, regarding the PEACE Representative for your class requesting your contact details if you wish to be included on your child’s Class List. Your PEACE Representative is in the process of compiling this List and replying to the email, complete with your contact details as requested, will mean that these details go directly to your class Representative. Thank you to those who have already done so and hopefully this gentle reminder will see a flurry of contact information in to complete these Lists!
Elaine Mahon
Social Worker
Available Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
PE News
YEAR 3-6 SWIMMING CARNIVAL (HBF ARENA FRIDAY 16TH MARCH)
Information has been sent regarding the Interhouse Swimming Carnival. Please return the form by Wed 21st February. Any parents who can help on the day, please give your details to the office.
YEAR 3 BADMINTON
Year 3 students will be taking part in Badminton lessons as apart of their Physical Education Programme. This will take place in the gym on Thursday afternoons with a qualified Coach. The Year 3 teachers will inform the students when they will participate and when to wear their sport uniform.
Also please don't forget to send in your Coles Sports for School Vouchers to the front office, so we can claim some fantastic sports equipment.
Adriano D’Adamo
PE Specialist
Dance/Drama News
Easter Liturgy Play
This year, the Year 6's have been asked to volunteer to take part in the Easter Liturgy which will be performed for the whole school. Speaking and non-Speaking roles will be available. The sign up sheet is in each Year 6 classroom and closes this Thursday morning. We will begin this Thursday at 2:10pm. Would love to see as many Year 6 students involved in this special play as possible!
Liturgical Dance
Year 6 students are invited to sign up for this year's Liturgical Dance. This piece will be performed at the Easter Liturgy, Catholic Performing Arts and various other festivals. No dance experience necessary but definitely welcomed. The genre of the dance will be ballet/contemporary. We will be rehearsing every Monday morning 8:00am- 8:40am. We can only have 20 students in this group and need 100% commitment to rehearsals. The sign up sheet is in each Year 6 classroom and closes Thursday morning. Rehearsals will start Monday 19th of February. A note will be sent home to parents with more information.
Introducing...... Girls Dance!
Girls in Year 5 and 6 are invited to join a special performance for our 40th Anniversary. The genre of this dance will be Hip Hop/Jazz. No experience is necessary! There is no limit to how many girls we can have, we just need 100% commitment to Tuesday lunch rehearsals. They will be performing at the Catholic Performing Arts and various other festivals. We will be starting later in Term One, however a note will go home to parents with more information. The girls that are in Year 6 can be part of both Liturgical and Girls Dance.
Boys Dance
Boys Dance is BACK! Bigger and better than before! If your son is in Year 4, 5 or 6 and would like to join Boys Dance 2018, I will have sign up sheets in their classrooms. Their name must be on there by Tuesday morning 20 February. We will also have a meeting at lunch in the gym on Tuesday 20th, where Boys Dance Captain's will be announced and a chance for last minute sign ups. Rehearsals will be every Tuesday lunch, starting later in the term. They will perform at the Catholic Performing Arts, ACHPER and various other festivals. A note will go home with more information. Please note that we need 100% commitment to rehearsals and performances.
Costumes
Have you got any costumes or dress ups at home in reasonable condition that you would like to donate to Drama/Dance? If so, we would love to have them! Please bring them down to the Music Room on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday.
Mrs Candice D'Adamo
(Drama and Dance Specialist)
Canteen
Unfortunately we no longer have banana milk available, but why not try our new Neopolitan flavour.
We are in desperate need of more volunteers on Mondays and on Thursdays. If you can spare a few hours on one of these days, please see staff on canteen or office. Thank you.
Thursday 15th February
Recess:
TBA
Roster:
Katherin Lin, Lorraine Hughes-Smith, Julie Pestana
Monday 19th February
Recess:
Chicken Goujons $1.40
Pikelet 70c
Roster:
Wendy Scanlan, Emma Strutt,
Thursday 22nd February
Recess:
TBA
Roster:
Caroline Mikeska, Kellie Hayes, Amy Winston
P and F
Just a reminder that the first P and F meeting will take place Wednesday 21st February at 6.30pm. All are welcome to attend and take this fantastic opportunity to strengthen community ties within your child's school. The P and F Executive will also be voted in on this evening. There is still time if you would like to put your nomination forward to be part of the Executive. If so please contact the front office.
Newsletter Advertising
If anyone is interested in advertising in the newsletter for 2018 would you please send an email to admin@wcps.wa.edu.au.
Tennis Lessons at WCPS
Instyle Tennis are offering Term 1 Hot-Shots Tennis lessons at WCPS! Held each Tues 7.35-8.20am, starting week 2 of term 1. Great fun and all ages/ levels welcome! Details and online registration at instyletennis.com.au/ 0433 777 195 (Richard). Cost $135/8 weeks “learn the shots, play the game, meet new friends & have fun!”
OUR SPONSORS
Community News
OLM
Our Lady of the Mission Church requires a cleaner to clean the Community Parish Centre for 3 hours a week on Mondays. This is a paid position. Please call Christine at the Parish Office on 9307 2776 if you are interested.